The charge that members of the other party are un-American or treasonous is disgraceful enough that anyone in his own party who doesn’t denounce Trump for this shares in the disgrace.

I think Kristol feels it’s always wrong to accuse the Democrats (many of whom supported the Soviets in the Cold War, the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War, and Muslims in the War on Terror) of disloyalty.

A pre-Iraq War WEEKLY STANDARD piece (October 14, 2002) said “And while it would indeed have been beyond the pale for the president and his men to smear Democratic dissent [on whether to invade Iraq] as per se disloyal, no such smear had actually been forthcoming.”

I don’t see why it would be beyond the pale to smear some of the more virulently America-hating Dems as per se disloyal–many of them are. (32 out of 37 members of Black Caucus voted against the Iraq War –but not for the reasons that Pat Buchanan would have given.) We were smeared as per se disloyal [Unpatriotic Conservatives,by David Frum, National Review, March 19, 2003] and we don’t even hate America!

It is simply a fact that Rep Luis Gutierrez, a man who has declared that he has “only one loyalty, and that`s to the immigrant community” ran out of the room, trembling in fear and hate at chants of “USA, USA!” [Dem Rep. Luis Gutierrez Exits House Chamber During Chants Of “USA!” At State Of The Union, RealClearPolitics, January 30, 2018] How disloyal is that? What would the Democrats have to do before Kristol would allow Trump to criticize them? Sponsor an actual invasion and occupation of the United States? Oh, wait…